Italy easily swamped in Cardiff

From the face of a cherub with the pace of a cheetah came a voice of much-needed perspective as expectation grew on the back a victory in Cardiff and a defeat in Paris.

Rhys Williams, whose blistering speed might have remained hidden on the bench but for an injury to Tom Shanklin, was not having any nonsense about Wales being ready for the challenge of England at Twickenham. 'We have the No.1 team in the world next, we have to raise our performance 60 per cent to live with them,' said the Cardiff player.

That could be a conservative figure. Some spectacular handling and running against Italy should not delude Wales into thinking their rehabilitation has come far enough to give England much of a game later this month. Coach Steve Hansen pondered the more likely scenario of England making Wales pay for what happened in Paris and Brad Johnstone, the Italy coach, saw it that way: 'After today, Wales will face a hell of a game at Twickenham.' Williams, a 22-year-old with Pop Idol looks, agreed: 'I am sure England will be on the rebound.' He should know about bouncing back. Just 24 hours before sprinting through the Italian cover for the try of the match, Williams was flat on his back contemplating being replaced on the bench after suffering a back spasm during training on Friday afternoon. Hansen must now decide whether to include Williams in his starting line-up for Twickenham. He played on the wing on Saturday, though he prefers full back.

The second biggest cheer of the day from the 60,000 crowd greeted the sight of Graham Henry on the big screen. He watched from the stands as the team he coached until last month scored five tries. Hansen thought the reception was deserved. 'A reflection of what he did over three years,' he said. Which begs a question. If Henry did so much, why has all the talk in the Hansen era been of returning to basics?